Buddha-Sasana

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This podcast is an archive of Dharma talks given by Bhikkhu Cintita of the Sitagu Monastry in Austin, TX. Each talk illuminates aspects of the Buddha's teachings. The purpose is the same that the Buddha had for his teachings, to guide us toward the end of suffering and the attainment of freedom.

Bhikkhu Cintita


    • Jun 1, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 23m AVG DURATION
    • 209 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Buddha-Sasana

    Unmasking the world

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2024 133:51


    This is the fifth talk delivered by Bhikkhu Cintita at the Satipatthana Rethought retreat held at the American Bodhi Center in Hemstead, Texas, May 24-27.

    Whose body and mind?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2024 143:47


    This is the fourth talk delivered by Bhikkhu Cintita at the Satipatthana Rethought retreat held at the American Bodhi Center in Hemstead, Texas, May 24-27.

    Seclusion, Samādhi and Jhāna

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2024 109:31


    This is the third talk delivered by Bhikkhu Cintita at the Satipatthana Rethought retreat held at the American Bodhi Center in Hemstead, Texas, May 24-27.

    Observables and their contingencies

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2024 102:41


    This is the second talk delivered by Bhikkhu Cintita at the Satipatthana Rethought retreat held at the American Bodhi Center in Hemstead, Texas, May 24-27.

    Introduction to Satipatthana Rethought

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 93:35


    This is the first talk delivered by Bhikkhu Cintita at the Satipatthana Rethought retreat held at the American Bodhi Center in Hemstead, Texas, May 24-27.

    Contemplations of non-self

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 25:09


    Non-self is a practice more than it is a philosophical viewpoint. However, this practice begins with a conceptual investigation of the presumed experiential manifestations of the constructed self. (February 16, 2024)

    On Buddhist ethics

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 22:33


    Samādhi in the earliest texts.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 21:21


    This talk reviews what the early texts say about samādhi 'concentration', much of which may surprise you. This talk was originally presented on July 2, 2023 broadcast from Minnesota via Zoom to the English Dharma Group at Jade Temple in Houston Texas. (February 2, 2024)

    Was the Buddha a biologist?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 21:34


    “If consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name-and-form take shape in the womb?” "No." The most common traditional interpretation of this famous passage (from DN 15) is that consciousness travels into the womb to unify with the fetus of name-and-form at con­ception. I argue that this interpretation is untenable. (Rebroadcast 1/26/2024, originally broadcast 9/25/2020)

    What is the Buddha-Sasana?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2024 23:45


    The Buddha-Sāsana is Buddhism as a living tradition, something that evolves, spreads to new lands, dies out in old lands, rather than Buddhism as the Dharma, which is much more static. A key question for the Buddha seems to be is how well the Buddha-Sāsana would retain the authenticity of the Buddha-Dharma.

    A history of emptiness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 21:52


    The teaching of emptiness is often considered to be an innovation of Nagarjuna or of the Prajnaparamita Sutras. However this important teaching had been expounded by the Buddha many centuries before, but has become obscured. But how? (Rebroadcast 1/12/2024, originally podcast 7/16/2021)

    The Buddha's Method 2/2: insubstantial and conditional

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 26:59


    The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. The Buddha's methodology furthermore involves regarding the world as both insubstantial and conditional. (Repodcast 1/5/2024, originally podcast 7/30/2021).

    The Buddha's Method 1/2: practical and subjective

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 24:43


    The Buddha clarifies an explicit methodology which is nonetheless often overlooked by students of the Dharma. Much of this has to do with the practical and experiential orientation of the Dharma. (Repodcast 12/29/2023, originally podcast 7/23/2021).

    What did the Buddha think of women?(2/2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 30:01


    Last week's talk demonstrated the exemplary support the Buddha provided to women's practice. This week we will look at a controversial text, describing with the origin of the nun's sangha, that at first sight seems to paint a starkly contrasting picture of the Buddha.  (repodcast 12/22/2023, originally podcast 6/5/2020)

    What did the Buddha think of women? (1/2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 27:45


    Buddhism is not widely known as a religion of gender-equality. But the early the discourses show repeatedly that the Buddha had the deepest kindness and respect for women, as particularly evident in his treatment of the nun's Sangha. (repodcast 12/15/2023, originally podcast 5/29/2020)

    The four noble truths

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 19:17


    The wide-ranging teaching of the four noble truths can come under satipaṭṭhāna investigation if we look for its observables in those texts that are more nuts-and-bolts in style, although the fourth noble truth, when equated with the path itself, is more difficult to accommodate.. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 12, 12/8/2023)

    The seven awakening factors

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 20:03


    The awakening factors describe the growth of samādhi that is readily experienced within satipaṭṭhāna practice per se. This exercise should be assimilated as in routine monitoring of the constellation of satipatthana factors alive in other exercises. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 11, 12/1/2023)

    awakening factors
    The sixfold sphere

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 19:00


    We look at the dhamma and the observables involved in comprehending the six senses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 11, 11/24/2023)

    The five aggregates

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 20:09


    The appropriation-aggregates (form, feeling, perception, fabrication and cognizance) represent one of the most fruitful themes of satipatthana contemplation. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 10, 11/17/2023)

    The five hindrances

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 19:37


    The five hindrances fall under the fourth (dhamma) satipaṭṭhāna. Verifying and internalizing their understanding is an aid in general Buddhist practice, and only secondarily in quelling the presumption of self. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 9, 11/10/2023)

    Contemplating Mind

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2023 20:46


    The observables in the mind contemplation are states of mind. Once again the observables reveal non-self, but the chosen observables also collaterally support the understanding of important Dhammic concepts. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 8, 11/3/2023)

    Feeling

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 20:39


    Feeling (pain, pleasure and neither) is the basis of the second satipatthana contemplation, which seeks to demonstrate that there is no witness/self behind witnessing the world. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 7, 10/27/2023)

    Corpses

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 20:27


    The charnel ground contemplations give a means of observing the shift in our presumption of body/self with the progressive natural decay of a corpse. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 6, 10/20/2023)

    Elements

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 20:10


    The elements (earth, water, fire and air) give an alternative was of deconstructing the body/self. I also discuss the the practical need sometimes to favor samādhi over analysis and vice versa. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 5, 10/13/2023)

    Body parts and modes of practice

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 19:26


    We review the contemplation of body parts, which we talked about some weeks ago, then discuss the varying modes of context and conceptuality in practice. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 4, 10/6/2023)

    The bodily actions exercise

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2023 19:59


    Contemplation of bodily actions takes us off the cushion potentially into everyday life. It can be used independently of satipatthana to cultivate mental development. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 3, 9/29/2023)

    The posture exercise

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 22:18


    Contemplation of posture tends to take us off the cushion and, like the breath, is relatively discussion. We end with some discussion of intergrating samādhi into these exercises. (Satipaṭṭhāna Exercise Instructions 2, 9/22/2023)

    The breath exercise

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2023 21:28


    Breath provides weak internal evidence, fragmentary and transitory, for presuming an external body/self. (Satipaṭṭhāna Instructions 1, 9/15/2023)

    From theory to practice in satipaṭṭhāna

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 20:19


    Why do we need scholarship at all? Why not just teach how to meditate? (In the series Rethinking the Satipaṭṭhāna, 9/8/2023)

    Internal/external in the dhamma exercises

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2023 20:34


    Extending the primary analysis of the satipaṭṭhāna refrain to the fourth satipaṭṭhāna raises some issues. (Body in body internally and externally 4, 9/1/2023)

    The satipaṭṭhāna exercises

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 20:12


    We take up the contribution of the refrain of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta to the contemplation of the individual exercises, focusing on “internal analysis.” (Body in the body internally and externally 3, 8/25/2023)

    Looking for the self

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2023 20:01


     External analysis is to seek the external body in the observable evidence in which one is absorbed. (Body in body internally and externally 2, 8/18/2023)

    Body in body internally and externally

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 18:56


    We take up the contribution of the refrain of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta to the contemplation of the individual exercises, focusing on “internal analysis.” (Body in body internally and externally 1, 8/11/2023)

    Contemplating the body parts

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 21:30


    I describe how to practice the body parts exercise of the first satipaṭṭhāna, as a practical example of the systematic way I have been explaining satipaṭṭhāna in the last series of talks. (8/4/2023)

    Why contemplation of body, feelings and mind?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 19:26


    The practice of the first three satipaṭṭhānas aims at the deconstruction self in its facets of body, feelings and mind. (A back-roads tour of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 4, 7/28/2023)

    The satipaṭṭhāna in developing right view

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 19:52


    The correspondence of the fourth satipaṭṭhāna with both the five stages of liberation and the seven factors of awakening make the role of satipaṭṭhāna in developing right view clear, as well as the open-endedness of the Dhamma teachings examined in the fourth satipaṭṭhāna. (A back-roads tour of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 3, 7/21/2023)

    Aspects of Satipatthana

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 20:15


    We continue by looking at two more representative exercises, reviewing the conclusion of the sutta and reviewing the corresponding texts in the Pali and Chinese traditions. (A back-roads tour of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 2, 7/14/2023)

    A back-roads tour of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 20:30


    We begin a first pass of this important tutorial, identifying the satipaṭṭhāna method that supports the satipaṭṭhāna contemplative practice and see how the exercises are structured. (A back-roads tour of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 1, 7/7/2023)

    How samadhi leads to liberation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 19:02


    We look at the oft overlooked qualities of silent cognition (effortless attention) in explaining how samādhi leads to gnosis and vision. (The Miracle of Samādhi 4, 6/30/2023)

    Higher jhanas and fruits

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 19:06


    The absence of discursive thought in the second jhana is characteristic of effortless attention in cognitive science, which in turn is characteristic (perhaps counter-intuitively) of expert-level skill or virtuosity. This seem to be why samadhi produces the fruits attributed to it. (The Miracle of Samādhi 3, 6/23/2023)

    Unhindered, composed and embodied

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 19:19


    Entering the jhānas involves a mind that lets go of hindrances, becomes one-centered and finally stills discursive thought. (The Miracle of Samādhi 2, 6/16/2023)

    The miracle of samādhi

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 19:38


    Samādhi brings joy and leads to knowledge and vision. It also arises spontaneously without effort. (The Miracle of Samādhi 1, 6/9/2023)

    Right proficiency

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 19:57


    We will see that sammāsati (what others call “right mindfulness”) is the application of the satipatthana method for achieving and acquiring virtuosity in the other path practices. (The Satipatthana Method 4, 6/2/2023)

    Training in the satipattana method

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 19:57


    We look at how the application to everyday, non-Dhammic practices are utilized for training in the Buddhist art of skillfulness itself. (The Satipatthana Method 3, 5/26/2023)

    Proficiency-comprehension

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 19:55


    Proficiency-comprehension (satisampajañña) is a ubiquitous human cognitive faculty that is developed and cultivated to become the satipaṭṭhāna method. (The Satipatthana Method 2, 5/19/2023)

    The satipatthana method

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 19:39


    The satipatthana method is the art of skillfulness enumerated in the Satipatthana Sutta, but applicable in many diverse practice contexts. (The Satipatthana Method 1, 5/12/2023)

    How ”mindfulness” ended up with that label

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023 19:25


     If not sati, what is it we think we experience when we practice “mindfulness”? (How “Mindfulness” got Mislabeled 3, 5/5/2023)

    How the original meaning of ‘mindfulness' got lost

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 20:41


    The development of vipassanā as a mass meditation movement beginning in Burma resulted in some serious Dhammic shortcuts that marginalized the original meaning of sati. (Mislabeled 2, 4/28/2023)

    How ”mindfulness” got mislabeled.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 18:13


    There is a huge disconnect between our modern understanding of "minfulness" and the Pali word sati that 'mindfulness' was supposed to translate. (How "Mindulness got Mislabeled 1, 4/21/2023)

    Back in the USA

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 16:54


    A monk is an anomaly in the Wild West of Buddhism, and so ends this narrative. (Through the Looking Glass 12, 4/14/2023)

    A monk's requisites

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 20:49


    Cloth management and alms for the new bhikkhu. (Through the Looking Glass 11, 4/7/2023)

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